Manchester United are reportedly monitoring the situation of a £69 million-rated centre-back target who has been linked with a move to Liverpool.
While much of the attention this summer is expected to focus on Manchester United’s midfield rebuild, United may find themselves also looking at centre-back targets.
Despite looking likely to sign a contract extension, Harry Maguire’s future at Old Trafford still isn’t confirmed. Additionally, Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined for over four months now, adding to his worryingly extensive injury record.
Left-sided centre-back Lisandro Martínez has also had several injuries since joining United, causing him to miss around 60% of the games he has been eligible to play in.
With United expected to be battling on four fronts next summer, both domestically and in Europe, the club will need extensive depth to handle the fixture congestion.
Man Utd monitoring Murillo
Murillo joined Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and enjoyed a breakout season, which resulted in him being named Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Season.
The Brazilian’s strength and speed in dealing with the top Premier League strikers, as well as his fantastic control and vision means that Murillo’s stock has quickly risen, making a name for himself as one of the stand-out young defenders in the Premier League.
According to football journalist, Sébastien Vidal, Manchester United are closely monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Nottingham Forest.
This comes after United’s rivals, Liverpool, are reported to be considering an offer of around £69 million to acquire the highly-rated young centre-back.
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Murillo will leave Forest at the end of this season
Despite signing an extension that would see the Brazilian stay at Nottingham Forest until the summer of 2029, the East Midlands side will know that it will be almost impossible to keep their star centre-back beyond this season.
Forest currently find themselves outside of the relegation zone thanks to a superior goal difference to West Ham.
If the team does go down, then Forest will be forced to lose the Brazilian defender for a cut-price deal. With the number of teams across Europe showing interest in signing the left-footed centre-back, his departure is basically guaranteed, regardless of whether Forest stays up or not.
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In terms of his fit at Manchester United, Murillo would be an excellent option on the left of the centre-back pairing, considering Lisandro Martínez’s chequered injury record at the club.
The 23-year-old would also be able to bridge the gap between the 28-year-old Argentine centre-back and 19-year-old Ayden Headen, who, despite showing great promise, may not be ready for consistent first-team football
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